TUCSON, Ariz. — Authorities executed a federal search warrant at a residence near the home of missing 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie late Friday, detaining three people for questioning but making no arrests, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Saturday.
The operation began around 9 p.m. Feb. 13 near East Orange Grove Road and North First Avenue in the Shadow Hills neighborhood of Catalina Foothills, about two miles from Guthrie’s home. SWAT teams from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, along with FBI agents and officers from the Oro Valley, Marana and Sahuarita police departments, responded to the scene.
A man and a woman exited the residence after law enforcement orders and were detained, along with a third person stopped in a related traffic stop nearby, authorities and news outlets reported. All three were interviewed and released; no one remained in custody and no charges were filed.
FBI agents were seen photographing and then covering a gray Range Rover at a nearby Culver’s restaurant. A county forensics vehicle entered the secured perimeter but left shortly afterward. The scene was cleared overnight and roads reopened.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the activity was “related to the Guthrie case” but released no further details, citing the joint investigation with the FBI.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Saturday that no sign of Guthrie was found during the operation. He described investigators as pursuing “good leads” and said law enforcement activity would continue in the community.
Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing Feb. 1 after last being seen at her Tucson-area home on Jan. 31. Authorities believe she was abducted overnight, and blood evidence was found at the scene.
The FBI has described a suspect seen on surveillance video as a male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall with an average build, wearing a black Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack and a mask. The reward for information leading to her location or the arrest and conviction of those responsible has been raised to $100,000.
The investigation remains active with hundreds of agents involved. Tips can be submitted to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
